EBU reviews Israeli Eurovision song for suspected political lyrics

Eurovision’s organizer considers whether to disqualify Israel’s song “October Rain” from the contest for its political message

Israel’s entry for the Eurovision Song Contest to be held in Sweden on May 7-11, “October Rain,” is under review by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which organizes the contest.

In a statement, the EBU announced that Israel’s song was under scrutiny due to alleged “political messages” in the lyrics, noting that “confidential” negotiations with Israel’s public broadcaster Kan are ongoing.

Eurovision defines itself as a non-political contest and can disqualify contestants deemed to have violated this rule.

Israel’s Hayom newspaper announced that the song to be performed by singer Eden Golan in the competition included phrases such as “There is no air left to breathe” and “They were all good children, every one of them,” noting that this was a clear allusion to the people who hid in shelters during the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas.

In a post on social media, Israeli Culture Minister Miki Zohar argued that a decision to disqualify Israel from the contest over the song would be “scandalous.”

Israel, which has won the annual Eurovision contest four times, is one of the most popular countries in the contest. The contest is also seen as an indicator of the country’s international standing.

Source: Newsroom